The young New Zealand team of Cecilia Cho, Ko and Caroline Bon will be paired with Venezuela and Czech Republic in the opening round starting on Thursday. 

Ko is the youngest player in the field followed by 14 year old Marijosse Navarro (Mexico), who turned 14 years last month while the North Harbour player turned 13 in April. Guatemala’s Beatriz de Arenas is the oldest player at 62. Marijosse is the girl that has beaten Lydia twice to the Junior Worlds title in San Diego, California.

The New Zealanders have two further practice rounds at the Olivos and Buenos Aires courses today and tomorrow ahead of the official opening tomorrow evening.

The record number of countries exceeds the previous best of 48 in Adelaide two years ago, with first timers including Guam, Nigeria, Slovenia and Tanzania.

The kiwis will tee off in the middle of the day, with their first round at the Olivos Golf Club with the two lowest scores to count for each of four rounds.

Sweden will attempt to become the first team to win back-to-back Espirito Santo Trophies since the USA won in 1988 and 1990. The Swedes are the only nation to finish in the top 10 in all 23 previous Women’s World Amateur Team Championships. Their sole returning player from the victory in 2008 in Australia is Caroline Hedwall, the 2010 NCAA Division I individual champion (playing for Oklahoma State University). Hedwall was also the low individual scorer in the 2008 Espirito Santo championship. With another team victory, Sweden would have three gold medals in the competition, second only to the 13 victories of the USA, which has not won since 1998.

There is a link to New Zealand in the local organisation with Olivos GC course superintendant, Ronnie Damm a former Eisenhower Trophy player for Argentina when the event was staged in Christchurch in 1990.

New Zealand has finished in the top-10 on 12 occasions with the best runners-up to USA at Pinehurst in 1982 and at home in Christchurch in 1990.